Keeping up with the theme of the first post of 2026 (US Healthcare Enters 2026 With A High Degree of Uncertainty!), in this recently published article in Fast Company, I discuss some of the foundational problems with the US health economy and why it is such a laggard among its peers in OECD (Organization of Economic Co-Operation and Development.)
While our per capita expenditure is 50% higher than the next advanced nation, our outcomes are worse than even some middle income countries. Medical debt is the number cause of bankruptcy in America, even among those who have insurance!
People put off preventive care or even necessary care because of the anticipated costs. Results? Sicker population that needs more expensive care!
The recent cuts to Medicaid, expiration of the advanced ACA subsidies, and Medicare reimbursement cuts will exacerbate the underlying issues but even restoring all of them will not fix the problem.
We need a complete re-design of our system. While that may seem fanciful, if enough discontent builds in our people and they are armed with information about how much better people have it in other advanced nations, this type of big change will eventually happen.
Let’s push toward that!
Below is the link to the article on Fast Company.
The future of the U.S. health economy
